Limited travel draft gear



May 22, 1934 E. H. SCHMIDT LIMITED TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR Filed OCT'. 27,1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 f b QN S.

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May 22, 1934. E. H. SCHMIDT LIMITED TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR Filed OCt. 27,1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 QwN HIS ATTORNEY- May 22, 1934- E. H. SCHMIDTLIMITED TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR Filed Oct. 27, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mum. mm,

Hfs ATToRl/-UL' May 22, 1934. E. H. SCHMIDT LIMITED TRAVEL DRAFT GEARFiled Oct. 27. 1931 4 Sheets--Sheerl 4 Patented May 22, 1934 "LIMITEDTRAVEL 'DRAFT Ernest H. Schmidt, Cleveland Heights, YOhio, .assignor jtoNational Malleable and Steel VCast- `ilgs Company, GlevelancL'Ohio, acorporation o -0hio Application October 27, 1931, Serial No. A571,324

2 Claims.

This invention l.relates to draft vgear appliances and -more.particularly to the provision of vmeans .for :limiting the :travel of4a railway `draft ,gear to a'less amount =in .pull -thanin buff.

,An-object .of the invention is to provide novel and improved appliancesof this type which 4are of simple construction, inexpensive ytomanufacture, easy vto assemble and disassemble, Yand durable inservice.:Another object .is to .provide a draft vgear construction .whereingreater .compression .in buil than in vpull .is ,attainedwithoutcomplicating spring :arrangements .or :occupying spaceiotherwiseavailable for springs. .Other.ob jects and advantages ,will .be apparentas the description of preferred :embodiments `of ,the inven- .tionproceeds.

Reference will now be'had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away and partly in section, of .oneembodiment -of Vmy 4in- 'vention Fig. .2 is a side elevation, alsopartly Fin .-section, of fthe construction shownfinFig. -1, and

Fig. 3 is-an .enlargedsection'taken on the vline 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking.in the ,direction of the arrows.

. Figs. 4 and 5 are Views similar, respectively, to Figs. l and 2, butof a modified construction embodying `my invention.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section Aon the Aline v6 .i6'of `Fig. `5.

In Figs. 1, 2 and l3 there are shownat A .car sills joined at theirforward ends by striking .casting B and at their rearward Vends Aby backstop ,casting C. A friction draft gear .of suitable construction isshown as comprising a vwedge or follower member -l, which telescopesinto the Sforward end of a housing member 2,. Shock absorbing orcushioning mechanism of any suitable or convenient type may beinterposed 'between said wedge and housingmem-bers, the gearfhereshownfor purposes of illustration being of vthe 'same type as that disclosedin the pending application of -Ernest H. Schmidt and Hubert'L. Spence,Serial No. 319,064, filed November A13, 1928, .Patent No. 1,913,414,June 13, 1933. The `shock absorbing mechanism of such gearincludessprings'fland 5, the relatively large spring 4 being centrally locatedbetween smaller springs 15. .Forwardtravel of wedge vor follower l maybe limited by abutment thereof against rear anged extensions B" of thedraft lugs which are shown as integral with the striking casting, whilerearward movement of the housing member 2 is limited by flangedextensions 15 of the back stop casting C. A yoke 7 `is -shown .as o'fthe vertical 1type. withla coupler shank 8 secured las at i9 Lto itsEforward iportion for swiveling action. The'rear end F1a ofithe yoke Aextends Yalong :the 2backof the housing .mem-

ber 2 for compressing-fthedraftgeanunder .pulling to theusual 21/2" to-r2%".

Although `this increased travel -is-desirable '-in buff, sincebuingshocks 1in practice aregenerally much more severe than those'in pull,aPlesser travel is desirableinpull. 'Inorder to`limitthe`ltravel ofthegear in pull, I-'provlidefslots `111 in 'fthe-draft gear Yhousing 2, thehousing being suitably reinforced iby inwardly extending flanges lv112at either side thereof, :andiat the .rear ends fof the slots. Intof-saidslots 1141 there extend -s'tub lrkeys 14 which may -adyantageous'lyibesecured to the sills in the 'manner hereafterdeseribed. *When noexternal forces are appliedtorthefconstruction the housing member 2 islin -`its yrear-most position as shown in Fig. 1, and the fkeys lieinthe liervward ends of the slots. Re'inforcing flange's"13 may beprovided -at 1 the v:forward ends of the slots 1'1, as shown. `It willbefun'derstoodithat though the vreinforcing flanges '13 at theYfor-wardends of the slots A-are shown in abutmentwith the fkeys, whilethe housinglmember 2 is at the same-f time in abutment withshouldersv11i-on the backfstop casting, either the'shoulders orthe ilangesinayfbeout away or omitted, so that 'all :thefforce is taken on the other. 'Itis generally'desirable,ihowever, to have the back stop casting arrangedto -receive the severe buing shocks, fwhilelthejslots llm'ay `be longenough to prevent lthe transmission of bufng shocks tothe keys.

'For securing the keys to the sills, openings are preferably formedinthe latter to permitthe'keys to pass therethrough, whilebrackets 16With-central openings for receiving the keys arealigned with theopeningsin the sills and secured thereto as by rivets 17. Thebracketsmay be conveniently cast with aligned holes in their upper andlower walls for pins V18 which passltherethrough 'and throughcorresponding openings in fthe fkeys to .locate the latter..Displacement ofthe pins `may ibe prevented by placing'cotter pinsthrough holes 19 in the portions of the pins which extend below thebrackets.

In order to insure the necessary strength when the draft gear housinggoes solid against the keys, it is desirable to extend the keys for somedistance into the housing and to correspondingly extend the anges at theends of the slots, as best seen in Figs. 1 and 3. To accomplish thiswithout interfering with the springs, it is desirable to employ a springarrangement such as that shown so that the ends of keys may lie betweenthe springs. For this purpose the ends of the keys between the springsare shown conveniently tapered as at 14a. 'Iheir other ends may beT-shaped as at 14h, to aid in locating the keys in assembling theconstruction. The brackets may advantageously have shouldered portions20 for engaging the sides of the openings in the sills so that some ofthe forces imposed on the brackets are transmitted directly to the sillsinstead of through the rivets.

It is thought that the operation of the construction will be apparentfrom the above description, but it may be noted that under buflingforces the draft gear wedge or follower l is free to travel say 4 inbuff, while the keys 14 prevent the housing member 2 from traveling morethan the desired distance, say 2 to 21/2 in pull.

It may also be pointed out that in this construction no complicateddraft gear is required, the only change required in gears of known typebeing a different casting for the housing member 2. Moreover, the fulllength of the space between backrstop and striking castings is availablefor the draft gear. For instance, the gear shown is 337/8" in length ascompared with the standard length of 24%", while standard dimensions ofthe car from truck center to the face of the striking casting areretained.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, there is shown a modifiedconstruction which accomplishes genn erally Vthe same results as theembodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this modied form, the usual sills Aare joined by striking casting B and back stopV casting C', while theyoke 3G is of the horizontal Farlow type. Draft gear wedge or follower31 and housing 32 are shown, the draft gear being, for example, of thesame type as hereinbefore noted and including Vsuitable springs (notshown) as illustrated in Fig. 3. The yoke has a portion 33 which engagesthe rear end of housing member 32 for compressing the draft gear Linderpulling shocks, and in order to limit said compression, or, in otherwords, the travel of the housing 32, there are shown provided in theyoke, slots 34 adapted to receive the ends of stub keys 35 which extendinto the slots and may be secured to the sills in a manner similar tothat shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3. The width of the keys is shorter thanthe length of the slots, at least over the portions of the keys whichlie in the slots, so that the desired travel of say 21/2 in pull ispermitted before the yoke goes solid against the keys. However, toprovide a stronger anchorage for the keys, they may be widened at theirouter portions, which are shown as seated in Ybrackets 36, the latterbeing provided with openings of practicallythe same width as theenlarged portions of the keys and secured to the outer sides of thesills in any suitable manner, as by rivets 37. These brackets preferablyhave shouldered portions 38 whichabut against the sills, for purposesalready indicated. The keys may be secured in the brackets by pins 39,and are shown as T-shaped for aiding in locating the pins incorresponding holes in the brackets and keys.

In this type of construction the keys are located so that the rear endsof the slots in theV yoke go solid against them after the desired travelin pull, say 21/2". As shown, the coupler 40 acts on the yoke throughthe usual draft key 41, while dimension b (Fig. 4) is slightly greaterthan a, (the latter being, for example, 21/2) so that sufcient clearanceis provided to prevent the key 41 from engaging the striking casting.Said key, hence, is relieved of bending forces which would otherwise beapplied at its ends. In bufng, the coupler, acting through follower orwedge V31, is free to compress the gear the desired amount, say 4".Normally, the yoke seats against the back stop casting, which, moreover,is best adapted to take bun'ing forces, and clearance 42 (Fig. 4) isprovided between each of the keys 35 and the forward ends of therespective slots 34 in the yoke, to relieve the yoke of such forces.

It may be noted that in this construction the space available for thedraft gear is not limited or reduced by the means for limiting thetravel, and that no changes whatsoever are required to be made in thegear itself.

Moreover, the keys 35 are easily interchangeable so that by simplysubstituting other keys, the travel of the gear in pull may be readilyvaried or provision made for wear which may occur. By making the widthof the portion of the key in the bracket Wider than the portion in theslot, a firm seat is always provided for keys having varying widths ofslot entering portions. It will be appreciated that keys such as areshown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 could also be employed in the construction ofFigs, 1, 2 and 3. Y

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of thefeatures shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize thatvarious modifications are possible within the scope of the inventionclaimed.

I claim:

l. In aV railway car draft appliance, a draft gear including a centerspring and side springs and a housing member therefor, a slot formed inthe housing, a car sill, and a key secured to the car sill and extendinginto the housing between the side springs, but terminating short of thecenter spring and being constructed and arranged for engaging one end ofthe slot to limit the travel of the housing to a less amount in pullthan in buff. 5

2. In a railway car draft appliance, a draft gear comprising a housingmember including a center spring and side springs, a yoke member, a oarsill member at either side of said draft gear, slots formed in said sillmembers, and projections carried by said sill members and extendingtoward said housing member, said projections extending from either sidetoward said center spring and between side springs on the saine side ofthe gear and terminating short of said center spring, said projectionsbeing constructed and arranged to limit the longitudinal movement ofsaid housing member relative to said sill.

ERNEST H. SCHMIDT.

